www.attendanceworks.org
Ready, Set, Go!
Launching
Attendance Awareness Month 2015
April 15, 2015
Eric Glaser
Director, Network Engagement and Performance
United Way Worldwide
Welcome!
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Ready, Set, Go!
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William Carpluk
Manager, Alliance Engagement
America’s Promise Alliance
Attendance Awareness Month and
Nationwide Campaign 2015
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Recently joining our growing group of
48 national partners are:
• Center for Supportive Schools
• National Black Child Development Institute
• Trust for America’s Health
• Healthy Schools Campaign
Welcome to New Partners
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Raising Awareness in 2014:
324 Communities in 45 States
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• 645 articles, TV & radio spots,
blogs & commentaries
• Op-eds in Washington Post, New
York Times and Education Week
• 79 proclamations from mayors,
governors, school boards,
districts
• 6,100 tweets creating
7.6 million impressions
• 103,000 page views on AW &
AAM in September
Other 2014 Campaign Highlights
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Attendance Works
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Hedy Chang
Director Cecelia Leong Associate Director
Poll Questions:
1. Did your community participate in
Attendance Awareness Month last year?
2. Is your community planning to participate
in Attendance Awareness Month 2015?
Your Community’s Participation
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Attendance Is An Essential Ingredient
of Academic Success
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Attainment Over Time
Achievement Every Year
Attendance Every Day
Advocacy For All
Developed by Annie E. Casey Foundation & America’s Promise Alliance For more info go to http://www.americaspromise.org/parent-engagement-toolkit
Starting in PreK, More Years of Chronic Absence =
Need for Intensive Reading Support By 2nd Grade
* Indicates that scores are significantly different from scores of students who are never chronically absent, at p<.05 level; **p<.01;
***p<.001
Some risk
At risk
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Insights from Rhode Island on
Kindergarten Absenteeism (Source: Rhode Island Data HUB)
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Compared with kindergartners who attend regularly, those chronically absent
• Scored 20% lower in reading and math in subsequent grades; gap grows
• 2X as likely to be retained in grade.
• 2X likely to be suspended by the end of 7th grade.
• Likely to continue being chronically absent.
The Effects of Chronic Absence on
Dropout Rates Are Cumulative
With every year of chronic
absenteeism, a higher percentage
of students dropped out of
school.
http://www.utahdataalliance.org/downloads/ChronicAbsenteeismResearchBrief.pdf 13
Attendance Is Even More Important for
Graduation for Students In Poverty
Presentation to: The Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap
November 7, 2013, CT State Dept of Education. 14
Chronic Absence in High School
Predicts Lower College Persistence
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In Rhode Island, only 11% of chronically absent high school students
persisted into a 2nd year of college vs. 51% of those with low absences.
Rhode Island Data Hub: May 2014
1) Use data to identify where the gaps are the greatest
(including recognize how truancy and ADA mask an early
gap).
2) Unpack what contributes to the gap and detect
promising and proven solutions (with a special emphasis
on health-related causes and solutions for early chronic
absence)
3) Avoid the blame game by pointing out the systemic
attendance barriers faced by low-income students and
students from communities of color
Map the Attendance Gap AAM Theme for 2015 and 2016
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4) Show how early attendance gaps fuel later
achievement gaps (especially raise awareness that
that even excused absences can add up to too much
time lost in classroom instruction and an unequal
opportunity to learn).
5) Leverage bright spots (to demonstrate chronic
absence is a solvable problem especially if schools and
communities partner with families to motivate
students to develop a habit of attendance even when
they face tough obstacles to getting to class)
Map the Attendance Gap AAM Theme for 2015 and 2016
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Use Chronic Absence to Map Your
Attendance Gap
Excused Absences
Unexcused absences
Suspensions
Chronic Absence
Attendance Works recommends defining chronic absence
as missing 10% or more of school for any reason.
Chronic absence is different from truancy (unexcused absences only) or average daily attendance (how many students show up to school each day).
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90% and even 95% ≠ A
High Levels of Average Daily Attendance
(ADA) Can Mask Chronic Absence
7%
12% 13% 13% 15% 16%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
A B C D E F
Chronic Absence for 6 Elementary Schools
in Oakland, CA with 95% ADA in 2012
% Chronic Absence
98% ADA = little chronic absence
95% ADA = don’t know
93% ADA = significant chronic absence
20% 20% 20% 21% 23%
26%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
A B C D E F
Chronic Absence for 6 Schools in New
York City with 90% ADA in 2011-12
% Chronic Absence
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Looking at Chronic Absence Helps
Identify an Early Attendance Gap
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Number of Chronically Absent Versus Chronically Truant Students San Francisco Unified School District
# chronic absentees - 2010-2011
# students missing 10 days unexcused (as of May 16th 2011)
Find Out Why Students Are
Chronically Absent
Myths Absences are only a problem if they are
unexcused
Sporadic versus consecutive absences
aren’t a problem
Attendance only matters in the older
grades
Barriers
Lack of access to health or dental care
Poor Transportation
Trauma
No safe path to school
Aversion Child struggling
academically
Lack of engaging instruction
Poor school climate and ineffective school
discipline
Parents had negative school experience
Chronic disease
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AW Recommended Site-Level Strategies for
Debunking Myths and Identifying Barriers
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High
Cost
Low
Cost
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• Recognize good and improved attendance
• Educate & engage students and families
• Monitor attendance data
• Clarify attendance expectations and goals
• Establish positive and engaging school climate
Improving attendance requires adoption of a
tiered approach that begins with prevention
TIER 1 All students
• Provide personalized early outreach
• Meet with student/family to develop plan
• Offer attendance Mentor/Buddy or Walk to
School Companion
TIER 2 Students exhibiting chronic
absence (missing 10%)
• Intensive case
management with
coordination of public
agency and legal
response as needed
TIER 3 Students who missed 20% or more of the
prior school year (severe chronic absence)
Chronic absence (missed 10% or more of school) in
the prior year, assuming data is available.
And/or starting in the beginning of the school year,
student has:
Criteria for Identifying Priority
Students for Tier 2 Supports
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In first 2 weeks
In first month
(4 weeks)
In first 2 months
(8 weeks)
2 absences
2-3 absences
4 absences
Missing
10% any
time after
Possible Tier 2 Interventions (See: Power of Positive Connections Toolkit)
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Assign
Attendance
Buddies
Partner with
families/students
to develop
Student
Attendance
Success Plan
Recruit for
engaging Before-
or After-School
Activities Connect to
Walk- to-School
Companion
Offer plan or
contacts for
Health Support
Priority Early
Outreach for
Positive Linkages
and Engagement
Students
& Families
Schools
Actionable
Data
Positive
Messaging
Capacity
Building
Shared
Accountability
Is accurate, accessible,
and regularly reported
Expands ability to
interpret data and work
together to adopt best
practices
Conveys why building a
habit of attendance is
important and what
chronic absence is
Ensures monitoring &
incentives to address
chronic absence
Community District
Ingredients for System-wide
Success & Sustainability
Strategic partnerships between
district and community partners
address specific attendance
barriers and mobilize support for
all ingredients 26
Peer opportunities to compare
data, share & learn about best
practices, and identify and
problem-solve common
challenges
Locality
B
Locality
D Education Associations
Unions (teachers, adm,
etc.)
Advocacy Organizations
Parent Organizations
State Dept of Education
State Policy Makers Communities/
Districts Across
State Join In
Ongoing peer learning,
TA, administrative guidance,
regulations, and legislation promote
best practices & systemic change
Scaling Up:
Proposed Local-to-State Pathway
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Others
ECE/HS Association
Locality
A
Locality C:
Early Innovator
Advance local practice
through peer learning
Inform state organizations
with insights from local
practice
Spread work state-wide
through TA and policy
State of California
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Jill Habig Special Assistant Attorney General for California Attorney General Kamala Harris
Tackling California’s Elementary School Truancy & Chronic Absence Crisis
Jill Habig
Special Assistant Attorney General for
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris
#EveryKidCounts
IN SCHOOL + ON TRACK
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Background & Approach
• Public Health Model/Smart on Crime
• SF DA’s Office
• CA AG’s Office
IN SCHOOL + ON TRACK
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2012 – 2013 Elementary School Chronic Absence Rates
250,000 elementary school students in CA are estimated to be chronically absent – missing 10% or more of the school year.
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2012 – 2013 Elementary School Chronic Truancy & Severe Chronic Absence Rates
• 50,000 elementary school students are chronically truant (10% or more of the school year missed for unexcused absences)
• 40,000 elementary school students are severely chronically absent (missing 20% or more of the school year, or approximately 36 days)
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Disadvantaged Youth Suffer Greater Disparities
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• 250,000 CA elementary students at risk of falling behind due to poor attendance.
• Absenteeism is worst in Kindergarten and 1st grade for all racial/ethnic groups – when it’s most important for long-term foundation.
• African American elementary students suffer biggest attendance disparities.
Where Are the Attendance Gaps in California?
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IN SCHOOL + ON TRACK
Key Components of Initiative
• Annual Report: www.oag.ca.gov/truancy
• Sample Local Control & Accountability Plan
(LCAP)
• Public Education Campaign
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Annual Report:
www.oag.ca.gov/truancy
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Lack of Capacity + System Silos
RESULT: Districts are missing crucial attendance information that could aid prevention & early intervention
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Overview of the Local Control Funding Formula
• CA school districts get a base funding grant calculated by ADA
• Additional funds are allocated based on the number disadvantaged youth
• Every school district must adopt a Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP), which specifies annual goals/plans to address 8 state priorities
• One of the state’s 8 priorities is “pupil engagement,” which is to be measured in part by school attendance rates, chronic absenteeism rates
• LCAPs must address all 8 state priorities for the entire student body, as well as for certain pupil subgroups (racial/ethnic subgroups, low-income pupils, English Learners, pupils with disabilities, and foster youth)
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Provides districts and counties with ideas on how to prioritize chronic absence and truancy in their LCAPs
Goals:
1. Improve attendance overall and reduce attendance gaps between subgroups of students
2. Improve school site capacity to track and respond to attendance trends by engaging students and parents as early as possible
3. Understand and respond to the reasons behind student absences and common attendance barriers
Best Practices:
• Know who is absent and why
• Build capacity at the school site to improve attendance
• Include baseline data as a starting point for goal-setting
• Connect attendance with other priorities
AG’s Sample LCAP
Check it out: www.oag.ca.gov/lcapfaq
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Public Education Campaign (CA AG + Ad Council)
OBJECTIVE: Raise awareness to parents about the importance of consistent school attendance and the impact absences can have on academic outcomes, especially in the early years. TARGET AUDIENCE: Parents of elementary school students, with a particular focus on parents of students in 3rd grade and below. MESSAGE: Help parents understand the significance of school attendance, especially in the earliest years, and motivate them to act. CALL TO ACTION: Learn more about the importance of school attendance and provide parents
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Attendance Awareness Month 2015
Interagency Messaging (CDE, HHS, Courts)
2015 In School + On Track Report
• Update on Trends/Attendance Gap
• Examples of Best Practices
• Model LCAPs
#EveryKidCounts
www.oag.ca.gov/truancy 41
Allegheny County/Pittsburgh
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Shauna McMillan Program Manager Be There Campaign
Kathryn Vargas Manager of Programs for Children and Youth United Way of Allegheny County
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Council Bluffs, Iowa
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Dr. Martha Bruckner Superintendent of Schools Council Bluffs, Iowa
Kathy Hanafan School Attendance Supervisor Council Bluffs Schools
Chronic Absence in Council Bluffs
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Attendance Improvement Strategies
in Council Bluffs
● Participate in “Attendance Awareness Month”
● Recognize perfect, near-perfect and improving attendance
● Participate in “Celebrate CB Parade” to recognize ALL
students in the city with perfect attendance
● Provide health guidelines to parents to know when to keep
children home.
● Develop individual attendance plans with families who are
beginning to show chronic or severely chronic attendance
patterns
● Include students in pre-kindergarten classes in established
attendance policies and procedures
● Continue to market the district campaign for improved
attendance: Attend. Aspire. Graduate.
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School Attendance Teams
● Meet twice a month with district School
Attendance Supervisor.
● Review and track building wide and
individual student attendance data.
● Plan recognition events and awards
● Determine next steps/interventions for
students of concern.
● Determine if an attendance cooperation
agreement or mediation referral to the
county attorney needs to be filed.
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September Awareness Month
● Press Conference
● Weekly Competition and
Incentives
● Letters to Medical
Professionals
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Percentage of Students
with Less Than 5% Absence*
*Note: Community goal is set higher than the standard definition of chronic absence.
Grade
Level
2012-2013
Goal: 75%
2013-2014
Goal: 80%
% change
PK 76.50 % 80.15 % + 3.65
K 66.57 % 72.91 % +6.34
1 78.18 % 78.12 % -0.06
2 77.27 % 78.53 % +1.26
3 76.64 % 75.55 % -1.09
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• State of California http://www.attendanceworks.org/policy-advocacy/state-reports/california/
• Pittsburgh/Allegheny County http://www.attendanceworks.org/what-works/pittsburgh-the-be-there-
campaign/
• Council Bluffs, Iowa http://www.attendanceworks.org/what-works/council-bluffs-a-grade-level-
reading-lens/
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Read More About Our Guests
Attendance Works
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Phyllis Jordan Communications Lead
• Download our free materials and toolkit and share with local districts
• Encourage schools and
community partners to join our listserv: 2,300+ members
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Can We Count You In?
http://awareness.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkit/
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What to Do When
• Post your community’s plans for Attendance Awareness Month 2015 on our map
• The map is live as of April 15
• Who will be first?
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Share What You Are Planning
http://awareness.attendanceworks.org/map/
April 15, 2015, Ready, Set, Go!: Launching Attendance Awareness Month 2015
May 13, 2015, Start Strong: Address the Attendance Gap in the Early Grades
August 12, 2015, Finish Strong: Close the Attendance Gap in High School
September 9, 2015, Map the Attendance Gap: Use Data to Target Action
http://www.attendanceworks.org/peer-learning-resources/ 58
Save the Date! 2015 Webinar Series
All webinars will be held from 2-3:30 Eastern Time
• Host a webinar party to watch the webinars and use the Discussion Guides to digest how you can apply what you learned for your community.
• Write, talk, blog, tweet about Attendance Awareness Month 2015
#schooleveryday
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Spread the Word!
Summer Learning Day is Friday, June 19th!
Help us reach 700,000 kids! Pledge to #KeepKidsLearning this summer
at SummerLearningDayMap.org starting May 1.
Mentoring Effect & Attendance Week
is September 14-20, 2015.
Did you know that students who meet regularly with their mentors are: · 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school? · 37% less likely than their peers to skip a class? · 36% more likely to aspire to enroll in and graduate from college? MENTOR will release a promotional toolkit with sample social media messages and statistics to help amplify the message that quality mentoring can be instrumental to attendance and academic success. Stay tuned!
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Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Successful Parenting Webinars
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BETTER THAN FINDING NEMO: Finding & Sharing Common Language Between Parents and Providers, Early Educators, Teachers, & Health Professionals April 28, Noon ET Featured Guests: Ellen Galinsky & Erin Ramsey, Families & Work Institute Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8801974675114762242
Special thanks to all the partners
and our funders!
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Thank You for Attending!
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• For more information about Attendance Awareness Month 2015, go to: http://awareness.attendanceworks.org/
• A recording of today’s webinar will be posted within 72 hours: http://www.attendanceworks.org/peer-learning-resources/
• Please take a moment to provide feedback about today’s webinar: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ReadySetGoAAM2015